In this stunning natural history series, biologist Patrick Aryee takes us on a journey through time to retrace the dog family’s rise to power through the twists and turns of its family tree. From the jungles of Brazil, to the prairies of North America and deserts of Africa, he meets the most dangerous and charismatic wild dogs in the natural world. And ultimately he reveals how one of our most feared predators went on to become man’s best friend.

As part of his journey Patrick meets a unique landrace of livestock protection dog Bankhar and learns about how a native Mongolian dog performs a critical role to protect the livestock from a predators such as wolves and snow leopard. Bankhar dogs are an ancient landrace, not a breed but a type of dog shaped through thousands of years of coevolution with humans driven by the need for an effective guardian of livestock on the Mongolian steppe.

Arnout Hauben's amazing adventures retraces the historical route of William of Rubruck who in 1254 visited Kharakhorum and was given audience to the great Munkh Khan.

William was a missionary of the Louis IX and was set out to convert Tatars into Christianity to gain supporters for their fights with Musilim world. William of Rubruck was a Flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer. His account is one of the masterpieces of medieval geographical documentary literature. In May 1254, during his stay among the Mongols, William entered into a famous competition at the Mongol court, as the khan encouraged a formal debate between the Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims, to determine which faith was correct, as determined by three judges, one from each faith.